KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals today have acquired outfielder Edward Olivares&nbsp;and a player to be named from the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Trevor Rosenthal.

Olivares, 24, has played 13 games with the Padres this season, after making his big league debut on July 25. In 127 games with Amarillo (AA) last season, the right-handed hitter batted .283 (138-for-488) with 25 doubles, two triples, 18 homers and 85 runs scored. He swiped 35 bases to finish third in the Texas League, behind Royals’ outfielders Khalil Lee&nbsp;(53) and Nick Heath&nbsp;(50). He also finished 10th&nbsp;in the league in on-base percentage (.349), drawing 43 walks.

Olivares recorded 103 stolen bases in his minor league career, after he was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent on July 2, 2014 out of Caracas, Venezuela. He was acquired by the Padres from Toronto on January 6, 2018, with pitcher Jared Carkuff in exchange for third baseman Yangervis Solarte.

Rosenthal, 30, has made 14 appearances with the Royals this season, collecting a team-high seven saves with a 3.29 ERA (5 ER in 13.2 IP), after signing with Kansas City as a minor league free agent this offseason.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals today have acquired outfielder Edward Olivares&nbsp;and a player to be named from the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Trevor Rosenthal.Olivares, 24, has played 13 games with the Padres this season, after making his big league debut on July 25. In 127 games with Amarillo (AA) last season, the right-handed hitter batted .283 (138-for-488) with 25 doubles, two triples, 18 homers and 85 runs scored. He swiped 35 bases to finish third in the Texas League, behind Royals’ outfielders Khalil Lee&nbsp;(53) and Nick Heath&nbsp;(50). He also finished 10th&nbsp;in the league in on-base percentage (.349), drawing 43 walks.Olivares recorded 103 stolen bases in his minor league career, after he was originally signed by the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent on July 2, 2014 out of Caracas, Venezuela. He was acquired by the Padres from Toronto on January 6, 2018, with pitcher Jared Carkuff in exchange for third baseman Yangervis Solarte.Rosenthal, 30, has made 14 appearances with the Royals this season, collecting a team-high seven saves with a 3.29 ERA (5 ER in 13.2 IP), after signing with Kansas City as a minor league free agent this offseason.

Royals trade closer Rosenthal

CHICAGO -- Yasmani Grandal hit his third career game-ending home run in the ninth after a defensive miscue as the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Friday night.

Yoan Moncada had an RBI single in the seventh, Eloy Jimenez added a two-run homer and Luis Robert also homered for the White Sox who have won 10 of their last 11 games and eight straight at home.

Trailing 5-4 in the ninth, Ryan O'Hearn drew a one-out walk off White Sox closer Alex Colome. Maikel Franco followed with a liner to left-center. The White Sox caught Franco in between first and second. First baseman Jose Abreu tried to run him down but Franco got to second base before Abreu's diving attempt of a tag. While Abreu was sitting on the ground near second base, Abreu threw to the plate. Grandal wasn't looking for the throw and the ball got by Grandal, allowing pinch-runner Bubba Starling to score to tie the score.

"A very bizarre play. As I am thinking, it's a dead ball as soon as Abreu falls on the ground. I am looking at the runner at third and he is standing at third, he's not going anywhere," Grandal said. "Right after that, I have to figure out if the dugout wants to challenge or not and let the umpire know we're trying to challenge the play. As that happens, I turn around and see the ball going through my legs. Like I said before, it's something to learn from, make sure I am aware as to when the play is over and when the umpire is actually calling timeout."

Grandal made up for everything when he broke a 5-5 tie with a leadoff homer off Ian Kennedy (0-2) in the bottom of the inning.

"I've caught Kennedy before and I had plenty of AB's against him. I kind of had a pretty good idea of what I wanted off of him in order to take a good swing at it," said Grandal.

Colome (1-0) finished the game by getting the final four outs after blowing his first save attempt.

The White Sox moved into a tie with the Twins for first place in the AL Central.

Jorge Soler hit a two-run home run and Whit Merrifield added a solo shot for the Royals, who have lost all four of their games to the White Sox this season.

"We fought so hard to get back, every time in that game, multiple times. ... That's one of the worst feelings as a reliever, getting walked off," said Kennedy.

Royals manager Mike Matheny wants to see his team take advantage of situations when opponents give them a break.

"For our team to take that next step, we have to be relentless in those situations," Matheny said. "We can't let teams off the hook as often as we have. We're facing major league-caliber pitching. I get it. It's just that it's going to continue to be the conversation. They're going to get sick and tired of hearing about it, but it's too big of a piece of the puzzle for us, to not make a mark early, to not figure out how to get it done late."

Royals reliever Tyler Zuber, activated from the bereavement list before the game, walked Jimenez to start the seventh on four straight pitches. He gave up a single to Grandal, One out later, he was relieved by Scott Barlow, who walked Edwin Encarnacion to load the bases. After Franco was unable to make a running overhead catch in foul territory, Moncada ripped a single to right to put the White Sox ahead 5-4. Barlow escaped further damage by getting Robert to line out and Danny Mendick swinging.

Trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning with two outs, Tim Anderson hit a liner off the right thigh of Royals starter Danny Duffy. Duffy didn't appear hurt despite getting a visit from the team trainer. Two pitches later, Jimenez teed off on a fastball, driving it deep into the ivy in center-field to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead. It was Jimenez's 11th of the season and it measured at 452-feet.

Moncada chased Duffy with a two-out single in the sixth inning. Robert reached on a single off Royals reliever Jesse Hahn and Mendick struck out but reached on a passed ball by catcher Cam Gallagher to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Nomar Mazara added another run by drawing a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead.

The White Sox lead was short-lived. Reliever Matt Foster allowed a one-out walk in the seventh, then Soler followed with a two-run shot on an 0-2 pitch to tie the game at four it was his eighth of the season.

With two outs in the second, Robert hit an opposite-field home run into the Royals' right-field bullpen. It was the rookie's 8th of the season.

Merrifield tied the game in the third with a leadoff shot on a high 2-1 fastball. It was his sixth of the season. White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez then surrendered three consecutive hits. Ryan O'Hearn hit an RBI single to put the Royals ahead 2-1.

Lopez was pitching in and out of trouble all night. Lopez allowed two runs on six hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked two.

Before the game, the White Sox acquired speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson in a trade with Pittsburgh to boast their depth as they make a run for the postseason. Dyson came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth for Jimenez in left.

Duffy allowed four runs, three earned on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one in the no-decision.

Grandal and his teammates weren't looking to make a statement by not playing on Friday. Grandal pointed to the significance of Jackie Robinson Day. If you don't play today than what is the point? We thought today was the day to play. If it wouldn't have been Jackie Robinson Day today we could've possibly taken a different route, but we thought today was definitely the one day we needed to play."

INF Nick Madrigal, one of Chicago's top prospects, returned to the White Sox. He separated his left shoulder in his fifth game with the team. The 23-year-old second baseman was selected by the White Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft. Catcher Zack Collins was optioned to Schaumburg to create a spot for Madrigal. Madrigal did not play on Friday night.

Brady Singer (1-3) is scheduled to start for the Royals against the White Sox on Saturday. The right-hander is 0-1 in three road starts this season with a 4.02 ERA.

RHP Dylan Cease (4-2) is scheduled to start for the White Sox on Saturday. He is 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in his last five starts. He is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA against the Royals in his career.

By The Associated PressCHICAGO -- Yasmani Grandal hit his third career game-ending home run in the ninth after a defensive miscue as the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Friday night.Yoan Moncada had an RBI single in the seventh, Eloy Jimenez added a two-run homer and Luis Robert also homered for the White Sox who have won 10 of their last 11 games and eight straight at home.Trailing 5-4 in the ninth, Ryan O'Hearn drew a one-out walk off White Sox closer Alex Colome. Maikel Franco followed with a liner to left-center. The White Sox caught Franco in between first and second. First baseman Jose Abreu tried to run him down but Franco got to second base before Abreu's diving attempt of a tag. While Abreu was sitting on the ground near second base, Abreu threw to the plate. Grandal wasn't looking for the throw and the ball got by Grandal, allowing pinch-runner Bubba Starling to score to tie the score."A very bizarre play. As I am thinking, it's a dead ball as soon as Abreu falls on the ground. I am looking at the runner at third and he is standing at third, he's not going anywhere," Grandal said. "Right after that, I have to figure out if the dugout wants to challenge or not and let the umpire know we're trying to challenge the play. As that happens, I turn around and see the ball going through my legs. Like I said before, it's something to learn from, make sure I am aware as to when the play is over and when the umpire is actually calling timeout."Grandal made up for everything when he broke a 5-5 tie with a leadoff homer off Ian Kennedy (0-2) in the bottom of the inning."I've caught Kennedy before and I had plenty of AB's against him. I kind of had a pretty good idea of what I wanted off of him in order to take a good swing at it," said Grandal.Colome (1-0) finished the game by getting the final four outs after blowing his first save attempt.The White Sox moved into a tie with the Twins for first place in the AL Central.Jorge Soler hit a two-run home run and Whit Merrifield added a solo shot for the Royals, who have lost all four of their games to the White Sox this season."We fought so hard to get back, every time in that game, multiple times. ... That's one of the worst feelings as a reliever, getting walked off," said Kennedy.Royals manager Mike Matheny wants to see his team take advantage of situations when opponents give them a break."For our team to take that next step, we have to be relentless in those situations," Matheny said. "We can't let teams off the hook as often as we have. We're facing major league-caliber pitching. I get it. It's just that it's going to continue to be the conversation. They're going to get sick and tired of hearing about it, but it's too big of a piece of the puzzle for us, to not make a mark early, to not figure out how to get it done late."Royals reliever Tyler Zuber, activated from the bereavement list before the game, walked Jimenez to start the seventh on four straight pitches. He gave up a single to Grandal, One out later, he was relieved by Scott Barlow, who walked Edwin Encarnacion to load the bases. After Franco was unable to make a running overhead catch in foul territory, Moncada ripped a single to right to put the White Sox ahead 5-4. Barlow escaped further damage by getting Robert to line out and Danny Mendick swinging.Trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning with two outs, Tim Anderson hit a liner off the right thigh of Royals starter Danny Duffy. Duffy didn't appear hurt despite getting a visit from the team trainer. Two pitches later, Jimenez teed off on a fastball, driving it deep into the ivy in center-field to give the White Sox a 3-2 lead. It was Jimenez's 11th of the season and it measured at 452-feet.Moncada chased Duffy with a two-out single in the sixth inning. Robert reached on a single off Royals reliever Jesse Hahn and Mendick struck out but reached on a passed ball by catcher Cam Gallagher to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Nomar Mazara added another run by drawing a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead.The White Sox lead was short-lived. Reliever Matt Foster allowed a one-out walk in the seventh, then Soler followed with a two-run shot on an 0-2 pitch to tie the game at four it was his eighth of the season.With two outs in the second, Robert hit an opposite-field home run into the Royals' right-field bullpen. It was the rookie's 8th of the season.Merrifield tied the game in the third with a leadoff shot on a high 2-1 fastball. It was his sixth of the season. White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez then surrendered three consecutive hits. Ryan O'Hearn hit an RBI single to put the Royals ahead 2-1.Lopez was pitching in and out of trouble all night. Lopez allowed two runs on six hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked two.Before the game, the White Sox acquired speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson in a trade with Pittsburgh to boast their depth as they make a run for the postseason. Dyson came in as a defensive replacement in the ninth for Jimenez in left.Duffy allowed four runs, three earned on seven hits. He struck out six and walked one in the no-decision.JACKIE ROBINSON DAYGrandal and his teammates weren't looking to make a statement by not playing on Friday. Grandal pointed to the significance of Jackie Robinson Day. If you don't play today than what is the point? We thought today was the day to play. If it wouldn't have been Jackie Robinson Day today we could've possibly taken a different route, but we thought today was definitely the one day we needed to play."TRAINER'S ROOMINF Nick Madrigal, one of Chicago's top prospects, returned to the White Sox. He separated his left shoulder in his fifth game with the team. The 23-year-old second baseman was selected by the White Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft. Catcher Zack Collins was optioned to Schaumburg to create a spot for Madrigal. Madrigal did not play on Friday night.UP NEXTBrady Singer (1-3) is scheduled to start for the Royals against the White Sox on Saturday. The right-hander is 0-1 in three road starts this season with a 4.02 ERA.RHP Dylan Cease (4-2) is scheduled to start for the White Sox on Saturday. He is 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in his last five starts. He is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA against the Royals in his career.

Royals fall at Chicago on Grandal's walk-off home run

Chiefs Training Camp Reports with Mitch Holthus

CIMARRON - The Hays High girls' tennis team opened their season Thursday in Cimarron and finished in fourth place.

Jamie Haddaway went 2-1 and finished second at No. 2 singles.

The No. 2 doubles team of&nbsp;of Kayler Wellbrock and Danice Scheve received a first-round bye and went 1-1 and also finish second.

Mylah Potter and Brittnee Leiker finished fifth at No. 1 doubles and Alexis White finished sixth at No. 1 singles.

Team Results 1. Scott City - 24 2. Tribune - 23 3. Cimarron - 18 4. Hays - 17 5. Ulysses - 9 6. Salina Central - 8 7. St. John - 4

CIMARRON - The Hays High girls' tennis team opened their season Thursday in Cimarron and finished in fourth place.Jamie Haddaway went 2-1 and finished second at No. 2 singles.The No. 2 doubles team of&nbsp;of Kayler Wellbrock and Danice Scheve received a first-round bye and went 1-1 and also finish second.Mylah Potter and Brittnee Leiker finished fifth at No. 1 doubles and Alexis White finished sixth at No. 1 singles.Team Results 1. Scott City - 24 2. Tribune - 23 3. Cimarron - 18 4. Hays - 17 5. Ulysses - 9 6. Salina Central - 8 7. St. John - 4

HHS girls' tennis finishes fourth in first event of 2020

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Royals acquired infielder Lucius Fox from the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips. Fox will join the 40-man roster but be assigned to the Royals alternate site.

Fox, 23, has been working at the Rays alternate site since July 18. The switch-hitter is a native of Nassau, Bahamas, but played his high school baseball at American Heritage in Delray Beach, FL, before returning to his native Nassau where he was an International free agent signee by the San Francisco Giants on July 2, 2015.&nbsp; He was traded to Tampa Bay on August 1, 2016 with infielder Matt Duffy and right-handed pitcher Michael Santos in exchange for left-handed pitcher Matt Moore.

Fox, 6-1, 185 lbs., spent the majority of 2019 with Montgomery (AA) in the Rays chain, though he did play in 15 games for Durham (AAA) during the middle part of the season. While with Montgomery, the speedster swiped a Southern League leading 37 bases, and posted a .340 on-base pct., while hitting .230 in 104 games. He has accumulated 123 thefts during his four-year minor league career.

Phillips, 26, was hitting .226 (7-for-31) in 18 games for the Royals this season. He was in his third season with Kansas City after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2018 from Milwaukee with Jorge Lopez in exchange for Mike Moustakas.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Royals acquired infielder Lucius Fox from the Tampa Bay Rays Thursday in exchange for outfielder Brett Phillips. Fox will join the 40-man roster but be assigned to the Royals alternate site. Fox, 23, has been working at the Rays alternate site since July 18. The switch-hitter is a native of Nassau, Bahamas, but played his high school baseball at American Heritage in Delray Beach, FL, before returning to his native Nassau where he was an International free agent signee by the San Francisco Giants on July 2, 2015.&nbsp; He was traded to Tampa Bay on August 1, 2016 with infielder Matt Duffy and right-handed pitcher Michael Santos in exchange for left-handed pitcher Matt Moore. Fox, 6-1, 185 lbs., spent the majority of 2019 with Montgomery (AA) in the Rays chain, though he did play in 15 games for Durham (AAA) during the middle part of the season. While with Montgomery, the speedster swiped a Southern League leading 37 bases, and posted a .340 on-base pct., while hitting .230 in 104 games. He has accumulated 123 thefts during his four-year minor league career. Phillips, 26, was hitting .226 (7-for-31) in 18 games for the Royals this season. He was in his third season with Kansas City after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2018 from Milwaukee with Jorge Lopez in exchange for Mike Moustakas. Royals Release

Royals acquire INF Lucius Fox from Tampa Bay for Brett Phillips

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;The MIAA announced it will create a Conference Community Culture Task Force and will begin work immediately.&nbsp;The MIAA office is currently accepting self-nominations from student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and faculty members to construct the representatives of the group. The newly formed task force will be an advisory group to the conference office, focused on the goals in the new MIAA strategic plan, which are noted below. The group will be asked to interact directly with coaches and student-athletes regarding important issues and initiatives within the conference. Any recommendations from the Task Force will need approval by the MIAA Institutional Representatives Council (IRC) and the MIAA CEO Council, as the Association's primary policy groups. The MIAA’s Strategic Plan states that the Association asserts the value of equitable participation and treatment of men and women in intercollegiate athletics through its structure, programs, legislation, and policies.&nbsp; MIAA members also strive to conduct events within a respectful, welcoming, and family-friendly environment. OUR MIAA GOALS Goal 1:&nbsp;The MIAA will explore ways to celebrate its diversity and identify resources for member institutions to enhance diversity and inclusion in intercollegiate athletics. Goal 2:&nbsp;The MIAA will identify strategies to create first-class, family-friendly events that reflect our values as an Association. To see the full MIAA Strategic Plan,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/services/go.ashx/d7fd3b82-f2e5-4d3a-88fe-df76c1334239?elinkdata=149611" target="_blank">click here.</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -&nbsp;The MIAA announced it will create a Conference Community Culture Task Force and will begin work immediately.&nbsp;The MIAA office is currently accepting self-nominations from student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and faculty members to construct the representatives of the group. The newly formed task force will be an advisory group to the conference office, focused on the goals in the new MIAA strategic plan, which are noted below. The group will be asked to interact directly with coaches and student-athletes regarding important issues and initiatives within the conference. Any recommendations from the Task Force will need approval by the MIAA Institutional Representatives Council (IRC) and the MIAA CEO Council, as the Association's primary policy groups. The MIAA’s Strategic Plan states that the Association asserts the value of equitable participation and treatment of men and women in intercollegiate athletics through its structure, programs, legislation, and policies.&nbsp; MIAA members also strive to conduct events within a respectful, welcoming, and family-friendly environment. OUR MIAA GOALS Goal 1:&nbsp;The MIAA will explore ways to celebrate its diversity and identify resources for member institutions to enhance diversity and inclusion in intercollegiate athletics. Goal 2:&nbsp;The MIAA will identify strategies to create first-class, family-friendly events that reflect our values as an Association. To see the full MIAA Strategic Plan,&nbsp;<a href="https://themiaa.com/services/go.ashx/d7fd3b82-f2e5-4d3a-88fe-df76c1334239?elinkdata=149611" target="_blank">click here.</a>MIAA Release

MIAA to create Conference Community Culture Task Force

Dan Lier played on both of Fort Hays State's NAIA national championship basketball teams in the mid-80's and is now the No. 1 keynote speaker in Las Vegas. He shares how is playing days inspired his successful career after basketball.

Dan Lier played on both of Fort Hays State's NAIA national championship basketball teams in the mid-80's and is now the No. 1 keynote speaker in Las Vegas. He shares how is playing days inspired his successful career after basketball.<div><iframe title="Dan Lier" height="400" width="400" style="border: none;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/xxttv-e904a3?from=pb6admin&download=1&version=1&vjs=1&auto=0&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Helvetica&skin=7&pfauth="></iframe></div>

 🎧 Defend the Fort Podcast: Dan Lier

ST. LOUIS -- Kolten Wong drew a bases-loaded walk to cap off a four-run rally in the ninth inning that lifted the St. Louis Cardinals over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Wednesday night.

Tyler O'Neill tied the game at 5 with a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded off the glove of third baseman Maikel Franco.

Wong coaxed a five-pitch walk off Randy Rosario (0-1)

Ryan McBroom and Cam Gallagher homered for Kansas City, which has lost 13 of its last 17 to its cross-state rival.

St. Louis outfielder Dexter Fowler and pitcher Jack Flaherty opted to sit out the game in solidarity with other players around the league in protest of the shooting in Kenosha, Wiscoinsin. Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot multiple times by police Sunday. Three major league games were postponed Wednesday in decisions driven by players.

Fowler was originally in the starting lineup, but decided not to play right before the game. Team management issued a statement in support of both players.

Dylan Carlson tied it at 2 with an RBI double in the fourth. He also added a key hit in the ninth inning.

St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson allowed two runs on three hits over six innings. He retired the last 10 batters he faced.

Kansas City starter Jakob Junis gave up two runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings in first start since Aug. 7. He struck out six and walked one.

Junis had been slowed by back spasms and came off the 10-day injury list prior to the contest.

Royals: Sent RHP Chance Adams to their alternate camp to make room for Junis.

Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez will pitch to teammates at the Cardinals alternate site in Springfield, Missouri on Friday. He has missed the last 15 games.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (2-2, 3.99) will face Chicago White Sox RHP Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 13.50) in the first of a three-game series on Friday in Chicago. Duffy was pushed back a couple days after suffering left elbow fatigue in his last start against Minnesota.

Cardinals: LHP Kwang Hyun Kim (1-0, 1.69) will start against Pittsburgh RHP Chad Kuhl (1-1, 2.84) in the first game of a doubleheader in St. Louis.

RHP Johan Oviedo (0-0, 3.60) will start the second game.for St. Louis. Pittsburgh has yet to name a starter.

By The Associated PressST. LOUIS -- Kolten Wong drew a bases-loaded walk to cap off a four-run rally in the ninth inning that lifted the St. Louis Cardinals over the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Wednesday night.Tyler O'Neill tied the game at 5 with a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded off the glove of third baseman Maikel Franco.Wong coaxed a five-pitch walk off Randy Rosario (0-1)Alex Reyes (1-0) got the win.Ryan McBroom and Cam Gallagher homered for Kansas City, which has lost 13 of its last 17 to its cross-state rival.St. Louis outfielder Dexter Fowler and pitcher Jack Flaherty opted to sit out the game in solidarity with other players around the league in protest of the shooting in Kenosha, Wiscoinsin. Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot multiple times by police Sunday. Three major league games were postponed Wednesday in decisions driven by players.Fowler was originally in the starting lineup, but decided not to play right before the game. Team management issued a statement in support of both players.Dylan Carlson tied it at 2 with an RBI double in the fourth. He also added a key hit in the ninth inning.St. Louis starter Dakota Hudson allowed two runs on three hits over six innings. He retired the last 10 batters he faced.Kansas City starter Jakob Junis gave up two runs and four hits over 3 2/3 innings in first start since Aug. 7. He struck out six and walked one.Junis had been slowed by back spasms and came off the 10-day injury list prior to the contest.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: Sent RHP Chance Adams to their alternate camp to make room for Junis.Cardinals: RHP Carlos Martinez will pitch to teammates at the Cardinals alternate site in Springfield, Missouri on Friday. He has missed the last 15 games.UP NEXTRoyals: LHP Danny Duffy (2-2, 3.99) will face Chicago White Sox RHP Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 13.50) in the first of a three-game series on Friday in Chicago. Duffy was pushed back a couple days after suffering left elbow fatigue in his last start against Minnesota.Cardinals: LHP Kwang Hyun Kim (1-0, 1.69) will start against Pittsburgh RHP Chad Kuhl (1-1, 2.84) in the first game of a doubleheader in St. Louis.RHP Johan Oviedo (0-0, 3.60) will start the second game.for St. Louis. Pittsburgh has yet to name a starter.

Royals blow 3-run lead in the ninth inning, lose at St. Louis

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice. 

Called off: Games between Milwaukee and Orlando, Houston and Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland. The NBA said all three games would be rescheduled, yet did not say when. The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA’s team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police officers of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn’t take the floor for their game against the Magic.

&nbsp;Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — NBA players made their strongest statement yet against racial injustice when the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t take the floor for their scheduled playoff game against the Orlando Magic. 

The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4 p.m. EST, with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round. Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

More discussions were expected Wednesday, but even before that the Bucks apparently decided they would act. Magic players and referees were on the floor for the game but Milwaukee never took the floor.&nbsp; Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;

Following the Bucks decision, the other two playoff games Houston vs. Oklahoma City and Los Angeles vs. Portland have been postponed, according to the NBA.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — All three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;It is a great challenge to have an appreciation and a desire to want change. To want something different and better in Kenosha, Milwaukee and Wisconsin and then to go out and play a game.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/BCmHZdFf1P">pic.twitter.com/BCmHZdFf1P</a>&mdash; Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1298706183499513859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Called off: Games between Milwaukee and Orlando, Houston and Oklahoma City and the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland. The NBA said all three games would be rescheduled, yet did not say when. The dramatic series of moves began when the Bucks — the NBA’s team from Wisconsin, a state rocked in recent days by the shooting by police officers of Jacob Blake, a Black man — didn’t take the floor for their game against the Magic.&nbsp;Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — NBA players made their strongest statement yet against racial injustice when the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t take the floor for their scheduled playoff game against the Orlando Magic. The teams were set to begin Game 5 of their series shortly after 4 p.m. EST, with the Bucks needing a win to advance to the second round. Players had been discussing boycotting games in the bubble after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. More discussions were expected Wednesday, but even before that the Bucks apparently decided they would act. Magic players and referees were on the floor for the game but Milwaukee never took the floor.&nbsp; Former Kansas Jayhawk Frank Mason, is a member of the Bucks.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled.&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1298729514403594240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Following the Bucks decision, the other two playoff games Houston vs. Oklahoma City and Los Angeles vs. Portland have been postponed, according to the NBA.

Boycott: NBA playoff games called off amid player protest

 TOPEKA, Kan. - Several area teams are ranked in the Kansas Volleyball Association Preseason poll released Wednesday.

TMP-Marian, who finished 33-7 last season, is ranked No. 4 in Class 3A. A couple of state qualifiers from 2019 are also ranked. Phillipsburg is fifth and Beloit, who finished state runner-up, is&nbsp; ninth.

Victoria, who was a state qualifier in Class 1A, is ranked fourth in 1A-Division I.&nbsp;Central Plains, who won the Class 1A state title a year ago, is ranked No. 1 in 1A Division 2. Wheatland-Grinnell is sixth and Logan/Palco 10th.

Current classifications for the rankings are based on&nbsp;enrollments from 2019-20. The rankings will be adjusted when the updated classifications are&nbsp;released at the end of September.

Class 6A 1. Washburn Rural 2. Blue Valley 3. Blue Valley West 4. Olathe Northwest 5. Shawnee Mission Northwest 6. Blue Valley North 7. Gardner-Edgerton 8. Lawrence-Free State 9. Blue Valley Northwest 10. Olathe West

Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. Spring Hill 3. St. James Academy 4. Lansing 5. Bishop Carroll 6. McPherson 7. Bonner Springs 8. Topeka-Seaman 9. Andover 10. Maize South

Class 4A 1. Andale 2. Topeka-Hayden 3. Circle 4. Louisburg 5. Bishop Miege 6. Eudora 7. Nickerson 8. Independence 9. Holton 10. Wamego

Class 3A 1. Royal Valley 2. Cheney 3. Wichita-Trinity Academy 4. Thomas More Prep-Marian 5. Phillipsburg 6. Silver Lake 7. Nemaha Central 8. Smoky Valley 9. Beloit 10. West Franklin

Class 2A 1. Valley Heights 2. St. Mary’s-Colgan 3. Garden Plain 4. Ellinwood 5. Sedgwick 6. Jefferson County North 7. Sterling 8. Trego Community 9. Belle Plaine 10. Chetopa/St. Paul

Class 1A – Division 1 1. Rural Vista 2. Lebo 3. Olpe 4. Victoria 5. Rawlins County 6. Clifton-Clyde 7. Goessel 8. Pretty Prairie 9. Burlingame 10. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton

Class 1A – Division 2 1. Central Plains 2. Cunningham 3. Attica 4. Argonia 5. St. Francis 6. Wheatland/Grinnell 7. Golden Plains 8. Waverly 9. Ingalls 10. Logan/Palco

* Class 1A will be split into two divisions this year. Enrollments from the 2019-20 school year,&nbsp;adjusting for cooperative agreements, were used to estimate the teams for the rankings that&nbsp;would be placed in each division. Rankings will be adjusted after the updated classifications are&nbsp;released in September.

TOPEKA, Kan. - Several area teams are ranked in the Kansas Volleyball Association Preseason poll released Wednesday.TMP-Marian, who finished 33-7 last season, is ranked No. 4 in Class 3A. A couple of state qualifiers from 2019 are also ranked. Phillipsburg is fifth and Beloit, who finished state runner-up, is&nbsp; ninth.Trego is ranked eighth in 2A.Victoria, who was a state qualifier in Class 1A, is ranked fourth in 1A-Division I.&nbsp;Central Plains, who won the Class 1A state title a year ago, is ranked No. 1 in 1A Division 2. Wheatland-Grinnell is sixth and Logan/Palco 10th.Current classifications for the rankings are based on&nbsp;enrollments from 2019-20. The rankings will be adjusted when the updated classifications are&nbsp;released at the end of September.Class 6A 1. Washburn Rural 2. Blue Valley 3. Blue Valley West 4. Olathe Northwest 5. Shawnee Mission Northwest 6. Blue Valley North 7. Gardner-Edgerton 8. Lawrence-Free State 9. Blue Valley Northwest 10. Olathe West Class 5A 1. St. Thomas Aquinas 2. Spring Hill 3. St. James Academy 4. Lansing 5. Bishop Carroll 6. McPherson 7. Bonner Springs 8. Topeka-Seaman 9. Andover 10. Maize South Class 4A 1. Andale 2. Topeka-Hayden 3. Circle 4. Louisburg 5. Bishop Miege 6. Eudora 7. Nickerson 8. Independence 9. Holton 10. Wamego Class 3A 1. Royal Valley 2. Cheney 3. Wichita-Trinity Academy 4. Thomas More Prep-Marian 5. Phillipsburg 6. Silver Lake 7. Nemaha Central 8. Smoky Valley 9. Beloit 10. West Franklin Class 2A 1. Valley Heights 2. St. Mary’s-Colgan 3. Garden Plain 4. Ellinwood 5. Sedgwick 6. Jefferson County North 7. Sterling 8. Trego Community 9. Belle Plaine 10. Chetopa/St. Paul Class 1A – Division 1 1. Rural Vista 2. Lebo 3. Olpe 4. Victoria 5. Rawlins County 6. Clifton-Clyde 7. Goessel 8. Pretty Prairie 9. Burlingame 10. Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton Class 1A – Division 2 1. Central Plains 2. Cunningham 3. Attica 4. Argonia 5. St. Francis 6. Wheatland/Grinnell 7. Golden Plains 8. Waverly 9. Ingalls 10. Logan/Palco * Class 1A will be split into two divisions this year. Enrollments from the 2019-20 school year,&nbsp;adjusting for cooperative agreements, were used to estimate the teams for the rankings that&nbsp;would be placed in each division. Rankings will be adjusted after the updated classifications are&nbsp;released in September.

Several area teams ranked in KVA preseason volleyball poll

In an effort to reduce the risk of spreading or contracting the COVID-19 virus Hays High School, in cooperation with the Western Athletic Conference, has implemented the following policies this fall at school sports and activities events.

Please help us in following the policies&nbsp;and&nbsp;keep the Health and Safety of the Students, Staff and Fans as&nbsp;the highest priority.&nbsp;

FAN/ATTENDANCE PROTOCOLS&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hays High SchoolIn an effort to reduce the risk of spreading or contracting the COVID-19 virus Hays High School, in cooperation with the Western Athletic Conference, has implemented the following policies this fall at school sports and activities events.Please help us in following the policies&nbsp;and&nbsp;keep the Health and Safety of the Students, Staff and Fans as&nbsp;the highest priority.&nbsp;WEEKLY PROTOCOLS&nbsp;GAME DECISION&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Weekly Meeting with Leadership of opponent schools, ADs, ADMIN, ECHD, Coaches)&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Rescheduling Out of High-Risk Locations if Possible&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>FAN/ATTENDANCE PROTOCOLS&nbsp;&nbsp;LEVELS&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>All Levels Available&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>ATTENDANCE&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Full Capacity&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>OUTSIDE EVENTS&nbsp; &nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Hays HS/Soccer Field: Masks are expected if unable to social distance.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>FHSU&nbsp;Lewis Field/Soccer Field&nbsp;(as per FHSU policy): Masks are required if unable to social distance,&nbsp;specifically in stadium concourses and restrooms.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>INSIDE EVENTS&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Masks&nbsp;are required&nbsp;at all times&nbsp;while in the&nbsp;building,&nbsp;gyms, hallways, restrooms, etc.&nbsp; Anybody that doesn’t have a mask will be offered one.&nbsp; Anybody observed not wearing a mask will be asked to please put one on.&nbsp; </li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>If the issue continues, the person will be directed to leave the building.&nbsp; Exceptions: While eating, drinking, but a mask must be put back on as soon as finished.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Temperature checks for inside events required.&nbsp; Checks will be done before entering the building.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>TICKETING&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Max Capacity of Tickets Sold&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>All Tickets are General Admission&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>SEATING&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>All Seating is General Admission&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Social Distancing is the Responsibility of the Individual&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Full Student Section Allowed – Will allow for additional space for the students for social distancing.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>BAND&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Will move to another area at Lewis Field&nbsp;(Visitor’s side)&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Normal In-Game Procedures&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Normal Pre-Game and Halftime Performances&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>CHEER &amp; DANCE&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>All Levels allowed home or away at the discretion of the school administration.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>CONCESSIONS&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Hays HS/FHSU -&nbsp;Normal Concessions Offerings&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>ADMISSIONS<ul>
 <li>Utilizing season tickets. Sneeze guards</li><li>Temperature checks for inside events</li><li>Hand Sanitizer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>PRACTICE PROTOCOLS&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Daily Screening of All Coaches, Players and Managers (morning checks to be used)&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Maintain Static Small Groups When Possible&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Maintain Social Distancing when not Directly Involved&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Face Coverings are Recommended when not directly involved&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Individual Water Bottles or Cups&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>No Sharing of Personal Equipment&nbsp;(i.e. Helmets, Kneepads, Pennies)&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>GAME PROTOCOLS&nbsp;PRE-GAME&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Player and Personnel Temperature Check Prior to Entrance (will use morning temp check)&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Enlarged Locker Room Space if applicable&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Elimination of Pre-Game Coin Toss and Handshakes&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Enlarged Sideline and Bench Space&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Elimination of Pre-Game high/low&nbsp;five run throughs&nbsp;with the opposing teams.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>IN-GAME&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Extended Timeouts and Quarter Changes for Water&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Game Balls Cleaned and Sanitized During Timeouts &amp; Breaks if applicable.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>HALFTIME&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Utilize Non-Traditional Locations at Haltime for Social Distancing if available.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>POST-GAME&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Elimination of Post-Game Handshake&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Restrict Fan Contact with Players and Staff&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Fans must head to the exits as soon as games are completed.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>MEDICAL&nbsp;&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Individual Water Bottles or Cups&nbsp; </li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Managers will serve water to sidelines and at timeouts on the field.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Increased Availability of Water&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Maintain Social Distancing While on Sidelines or Benches&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Face Coverings on Sidelines and Benches are Recommended&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>TRANSPORTATION&nbsp;BUS TRIPS&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Face Coverings must be worn on all bus trips.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Seating chart for every bus trip.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Restrict conversation to shoulder partners.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Restrict sharing of personal items.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>NON-BUS TRIPS&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Face coverings will be worn.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Extra vehicle may be used if available to promote distancing.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Restrict sharing of personal items.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>

HHS releases COVID health, safety protocols for fall sports

ST. LOUIS -- Ryan McBroom had two hits and drove in the winning run with a single in the eight inning, Ryan O'Hearn added a solo homer, and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Tuesday night.

In the eighth, Hunter Dozier reached on an infield single to lead off. With two outs, McBroom singled to left, scoring Dozier for the winning run.

The Royals had lost six of their previous eight games before getting the victory. The Cardinals had won five of their previous seven games.

Josh Staumont (1-1) pitched one inning of relief to earn his first major league win. Trevor Rosenthal pitched the ninth, earning his seventh save in seven opportunities. Rosenthal gave up a one-out triple and then hit a batter before getting out of the jam.

In his six years with St. Louis, Rosenthal recorded 65 saves at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were the only team Rosenthal had yet to face in his career.

St. Louis gambled in the eighth, sending Paul DeJong home on a double to left center by Yadier Molina, but DeJong was out easily at the plate.

O'Hearn, who also had two singles, tied the game 4-4 with a leadoff homer in the sixth off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright. In his 320th career start, Wainwright went seven innings. It also marked the 268th time Wainwright and Molina were a starting battery. That puts the duo in seventh place, two games behind Montreal's Steve Rogers and Gary Carter.

The Cardinals chased Kansas City starter Matt Harvey with a four-run third inning. All the runs came home with two outs. Tommy Edman hit a ground-rule double to score two runs. Brad Miller and DeJong each added RBI singles.

The 31-year-old Harvey was making his second start for the Royals and lasted 2 2/3 innings. The former Mets right-hander, who had Tommy John surgery in 2015, has a 9.00 ERA covering 5 2/3 innings this season.

Kansas City led 2-0 after McBroom drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the second and O'Hearn singled home a run in the third. The Royals added a run in the fifth when Cam Gallagher scored on a throwing error by Edman on an infield single by Whit Merrifield to cut the lead to 4-3.

Paul Goldschmidt walked for a personal-best 10th conseuctive game. He then scored in the third on an infield single by DeJong.

The Royals added RHP Jake Newberry on Tuesday. Rookie RHP Tyler Zuber was placed on the bereavement list following the death of his grandmother.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy will not make his scheduled start Wednesday because of left forearm fatigue.

Cardinals: OF Austin Dean and OF Lane Thomas have been cleared to go to Springfield, Missouri, and take part in a rehab assignment at the alternate training site. They were the last two players of the 10 Cardinals placed on the COVID-19 injured list to clear MLB protocols.

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (0-0, 4.00) is making his first start since Aug. 2 and his third start this season. The Royals will have to make a roster move prior to Wednesday's game to make room for Junis, who was eligible to come off the injured list (back spasms) on Sunday before they activate him.

Cardinals: Dakota Hudson (0-2, 3.46) allowed just one hit and two walks over 4 2/3 scoreless innings against Cincinnati, while striking out six in his last outing. He made one career appearance in relief at Kansas City in 2018.

By The Associated PressST. LOUIS -- Ryan McBroom had two hits and drove in the winning run with a single in the eight inning, Ryan O'Hearn added a solo homer, and the Kansas City Royals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 on Tuesday night.In the eighth, Hunter Dozier reached on an infield single to lead off. With two outs, McBroom singled to left, scoring Dozier for the winning run.The Royals had lost six of their previous eight games before getting the victory. The Cardinals had won five of their previous seven games.Josh Staumont (1-1) pitched one inning of relief to earn his first major league win. Trevor Rosenthal pitched the ninth, earning his seventh save in seven opportunities. Rosenthal gave up a one-out triple and then hit a batter before getting out of the jam.In his six years with St. Louis, Rosenthal recorded 65 saves at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals were the only team Rosenthal had yet to face in his career.John Gant (0-1) took the loss.St. Louis gambled in the eighth, sending Paul DeJong home on a double to left center by Yadier Molina, but DeJong was out easily at the plate.O'Hearn, who also had two singles, tied the game 4-4 with a leadoff homer in the sixth off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright. In his 320th career start, Wainwright went seven innings. It also marked the 268th time Wainwright and Molina were a starting battery. That puts the duo in seventh place, two games behind Montreal's Steve Rogers and Gary Carter.The Cardinals chased Kansas City starter Matt Harvey with a four-run third inning. All the runs came home with two outs. Tommy Edman hit a ground-rule double to score two runs. Brad Miller and DeJong each added RBI singles.The 31-year-old Harvey was making his second start for the Royals and lasted 2 2/3 innings. The former Mets right-hander, who had Tommy John surgery in 2015, has a 9.00 ERA covering 5 2/3 innings this season.Kansas City led 2-0 after McBroom drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the second and O'Hearn singled home a run in the third. The Royals added a run in the fifth when Cam Gallagher scored on a throwing error by Edman on an infield single by Whit Merrifield to cut the lead to 4-3.THESE SPIKES ARE MADE FOR WALKINGPaul Goldschmidt walked for a personal-best 10th conseuctive game. He then scored in the third on an infield single by DeJong.ROSTER MOVESThe Royals added RHP Jake Newberry on Tuesday. Rookie RHP Tyler Zuber was placed on the bereavement list following the death of his grandmother.TRAINER'S ROOMRoyals: LHP Danny Duffy will not make his scheduled start Wednesday because of left forearm fatigue.Cardinals: OF Austin Dean and OF Lane Thomas have been cleared to go to Springfield, Missouri, and take part in a rehab assignment at the alternate training site. They were the last two players of the 10 Cardinals placed on the COVID-19 injured list to clear MLB protocols.UP NEXTRoyals: RHP Jakob Junis (0-0, 4.00) is making his first start since Aug. 2 and his third start this season. The Royals will have to make a roster move prior to Wednesday's game to make room for Junis, who was eligible to come off the injured list (back spasms) on Sunday before they activate him.Cardinals: Dakota Hudson (0-2, 3.46) allowed just one hit and two walks over 4 2/3 scoreless innings against Cincinnati, while striking out six in his last outing. He made one career appearance in relief at Kansas City in 2018.

McBroom, O'Hearn spark Royals to victory over Cardinals

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel will miss the first two games of the season after being suspended by the NFL.

Pennel signed a one-year deal worth a little more than $1 million in the offseason to stay with the Chiefs after joining Kansas City midway through the 2019 season. He played in eight games during the regular season and recorded 24 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.

Pennel also made seven tackles during the Chiefs’ three postseason games, including an assist and a pass deflection against San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV.

In a statement on Twitter, Pennel apologized to "my family, friends, teammates, coaches, the Chiefs organization and all of Chiefs Kingdom."

"Although I am completely unaware of how this occurred, I take full responsibility for what goes into my body and promise to be more vigilant moving forward," Pennel said. "I am truly sorry and ask for your grace and forgiveness. I promise to return with a vengeance in our journey to RunItBack!"

Pennel is the second Chiefs player to be suspended this offseason as cornerback Bashaud Breeland is suspended for the first four games of the season.

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel will miss the first two games of the season after being suspended by the NFL.Pennel signed a one-year deal worth a little more than $1 million in the offseason to stay with the Chiefs after joining Kansas City midway through the 2019 season. He played in eight games during the regular season and recorded 24 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.Pennel also made seven tackles during the Chiefs’ three postseason games, including an assist and a pass deflection against San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV.In a statement on Twitter, Pennel apologized to "my family, friends, teammates, coaches, the Chiefs organization and all of Chiefs Kingdom.""Although I am completely unaware of how this occurred, I take full responsibility for what goes into my body and promise to be more vigilant moving forward," Pennel said. "I am truly sorry and ask for your grace and forgiveness. I promise to return with a vengeance in our journey to RunItBack!"Pennel is the second Chiefs player to be suspended this offseason as cornerback Bashaud Breeland is suspended for the first four games of the season.

Chiefs' DL Mike Pennel suspended for first two games of 2020 season

MANHATTAN – Kansas State Head Coach&nbsp;Chris Klieman&nbsp;and select players met with members of the media via Zoom on Tuesday to discuss the progress of preseason practices. Below are transcripts of all four individuals, while video and audio links are above.

“Good afternoon everybody. We’re about 12 practices into what we would still consider fall camp. Even though school has started, we’re still into fall camp doing a lot of installations and double reps. We’re trying to evaluate a lot of players out there. I’m excited about the progress we’re making. We’re still a ways away, in my opinion, from being a seasoned team right now, but we’re still getting good work in. We still have the better part of two weeks before we play, and I’m excited that the guys are practicing hard, learning and continuing to improve. Looking forward to some football here in September.”

On the amount of players who have tested positive for COVID-19...

“I don’t think any in the last few. With all the students coming back, we’ll see how we’re going to be. I think every institution is going to be worried about that over the next few weeks to a month with all the students coming back. Right now, we’re testing every Wednesday.”

On true freshmen that have stood out in practice…

“Offensively, I would say Deuce Vaughn has really stepped up as a running back, Will Howard as a quarterback. There are a number of young offensive linemen who have done a good job. On defense, we have some defensive backs. Defensively, we don’t have that many true freshmen that are probably going to help us. There are a couple defensive backs and the two defensive ends from the Kansas City area, Felix (Anudike) and Nate (Matlack) are doing a nice job as well.”

On replacing the starting punter from last year…

“It’s a work in progress. Devin (Anctil) was such a dynamic punter for us. Jack Blumer, right now, is competing with what we hope to be Ty Zentner. Ty has been a little banged up, but we hope to have Ty back at the end of this week or the first part of next week to be able to compete a little bit more. We’re replacing an awful lot of our players on punt, as well, within our shield and within our front line. It’s been something that we’ve spent an awful lot of time on. It’s still an open competition at punter. We’ll play it out over the next few weeks and see who ends up being the guy.”

“There are a ton of challenges, more challenges probably than positives simply because you don’t get the face-to-face interaction. Whether it’s kids coming to campus for an unofficial visit, kids coming to campus for camps or the fact that we’re getting into playing some games in September that they’re not going to be able to come and visit the school. In that respect, I think it’s difficult for all student-athletes when they can’t get on campuses to get face-to-face interaction. I think we’re doing the best job we can as far as reaching out and touching all those recruits as often as we can. Taylor (Braet) and Chuck (Lillie) do a great job of keeping us up to date as coaches and using our social media platforms, texting and calling when we can to stay on top of it as best as we can.”

On if any additional players have opted out…

“We’ve had a few. We’re going to support those decisions, and then we have to move forward with the guys who are going to participate and play. Rest assured, we will support those guys and will continue to supply them with the stuff they need from the academic side of things to mental health to athletic training, whatever it may be. I would think it’s going to slow down, even though you just don’t know because the NCAA came out and said that this year really doesn’t count. When you opt out of a year that doesn’t count. We need to make sure that we take care of those guys.”

On handling the frozen eligibility this year…

“That’s something we have not dived into yet. I know it came out on Friday. We mentioned it to all of the players on Friday afternoon that this is coming down with a freeze year, but we’re still learning more about it ourselves as coaches. We have to let this year play out for those guys to see how many games they play. For the seniors, is it a full season? Do they want to continue to play and continue to pursue football? Some of them are getting degrees, already have degrees or potentially have jobs. It’s something we know we’re going to have to handle here later in the fall, but with all the things we have going on and trying to finish up what we still consider fall camp, we just haven’t spent a lot of time on it.”

On if he’s talked with Skylar Thompson about the frozen eligibility…

“Not at all and haven’t brought it up simply because his focus, as well as every other senior, is on playing this year and not worrying about something that’s in your control but is so far away. A lot of those seniors are saying, ‘Let’s just focus on this year and play as much football as we can.’ Once again, we haven’t talked about it as a staff at all since it just came down on Friday. We had practice on Saturday, gave the staff off on Sunday, reconvened on Monday for practice. It’s just such a blur right now with the amount of practice and meeting time that we have with ourselves that it’s not an area that we’ve hit on yet.”

On what tight end Briley Moore can add to the offense…

“Briley is going to be a definite impact player for us this year. I think you can tell his exceptional physical skills, whether it’s blocking at the point of attack, running routes. He’s gained respect from our older guys really, really fast just because of how he works and the fact that he competes on every down. He’s going to help us. You can put him down as a tight end. You can flex him out. You can put him in the backfield. I’m really impressed with his ability to learn what we’re doing. I’m excited to see what kind of year he has.”

On rules for the team now that students are back on campus…

“It’s going to be difficult - there’s no question - because they’re still 18-22 year old college students. Last Saturday was really the first night that we’ve had off simply because we were in camp mode and had a lot of things to do in the evening. We talked about it as a staff. We talked about it with our leadership council. We can’t practice every Friday and Saturday night for the whole semester, so some of it you have to put on the leadership. You have to avoid large gatherings. You have to avoid groups of people where people are not socially distancing or wearing masks. You can’t say if this one is ok or that one isn’t ok. You guys know what we’ve been preaching and what our docs and athletic trainers have been preaching as well. You have to avoid the bars. You have to avoid large gatherings. You have to avoid anything that would put yourself or your teammates in jeopardy.”&nbsp;

On recruits being interested in K-State after other conferences shut down…

“Yeah I haven’t seen it yet. When you could see it is if they did open up recruiting and somebody would come to a game of one of the three power conferences that are playing to see a gameday environment - even if it’s not a packed house - as opposed to not being able to get on campus to a school that’s not playing. That could happen. On the flip side, it could happen in the spring where they’re playing games and bringing people on campus and we're not playing games. We’ll see how that landscape plays out with the NCAA of how they’re going to allow students or student-athletes to come visit schools that are playing, and then what they’re going to do in the spring as well.”

On what the mindset of the new group of offensive linemen...

“Well, we have a really good defensive line to go against and exceptional linebackers, so they’re getting sharpened every day in terms of going against great competition. We’re going to have eight or nine guys that are going to rotate in and play until we can find the five or six guys that are going to be counted on for the whole year. I've been really pleased with all the guys up front. Coach (Conor) Riley has done a tremendous job. Noah Johnson, who’s a senior that’s a center for us, has kind of been the leader right now as far as being the vocal guy. I’m excited because we have interchangeable parts at guard and at tackle with probably seven or eight guys.”

On players taking online classes…

“We are going to kind of let the guys decide that over the first couple weeks of class, and I know a number of them - especially the older guys - have gone strictly online. There are a few older guys that will maybe go to a class, see what it looks like, see their comfort level, because there are a few classes that they really want to attend. If they feel comfortable that there’s not many students in the class, they’re socially distancing, we’ve encouraged those guys that that’s okay to do it. I think we’re going to find out an exact number probably in another week as guys finish getting their classes locked in because there’s some changes always in the first two weeks of classes with adjusting times and adjusting schedules. Rough estimate I’d say 70% of them are online.”

“Will Jones is doing a really nice job as a redshirt freshman. He’s put on about 25 pounds and done an excellent job of learning what we’re doing, being more comfortable in the system. TJ Smith, a true freshman, is playing there. DJ Render, a senior, is playing there. Ross Elder is playing some free safety as well as some nickel, so we’re kind of using Ross (Elder) in a couple of spots. I think we have really good competition. Everybody has a different skill set. Will (Jones) is a tremendous man-to-man coverage guy and is learning how to do some of the other things. So we have competition, we have some depth there.”

On transfer defensive back Kiondre Thomas…

“He’s done a great job. He’s a really competitive young man. I’m excited for him that he’s taken the challenge to come to K-State to help our team, to help himself. He’s in the mix. He’s going to play an awful lot for us. He’s a real vocal guy, he’s a physical corner, gets his hand on guys. He’s a good size young man -&nbsp; probably close to 200 pounds, 195 pounds. We’re really excited about Kiondre (Thomas) joining our program, and he’s going to have an impact this year.”

On watching the offensive line grow together…

“Noah (Johnson) makes that group have a lot of fun. He’s the guy that has all the energy coming into meetings, and he’s excited to practice and he challenges guys. I know that all those guys want to prove that they belong, that they can play at this level, that we won’t miss a beat. I know that we lost a ton of experience and it may take us a little while to gel with a brand new group of offensive linemen, but I’m excited about the athleticism amongst the group. I’m excited about the physical style of play and the fact that we have at least eight or nine bodies, if not 10, that really are getting a great look. I know that Coach (Conor) Riley wants to give everybody an opportunity so that we can build more depth and have more guys through a long season. ”

On Elijah Sullivan and Justin Hughes leading the way at linebacker…

“Justin is the vocal guy. He is a guy that brings energy every day and gets everybody else excited. Eli is a workman. He does his job. You can tell when Eli is on the field because our defense is that much faster. There’s some plays where you think it’s going to be a good gain, and all the sudden there’s Eli and it’s a tackle for a loss, or somebody looks like they’re open and Eli can close ground and get a pass break up. Both of them are doing a great job. Both of them are excited about playing with each other and they elevate our defense.”

On unique things at practice or in the locker room to get ready for an unusual season…

“Everything has been unusual. We’re using the visitors’ locker room as well as the home locker room so not everybody is together. Unless we use Bramlage (Coliseum), we don’t have team meetings. We’ve only had a couple team meetings. When we lift, we lift in groups of four as opposed to just offense and defense, it’s four groups to lift in. For position meetings, we’re using the West Stadium Club because it has bigger areas. There’s nothing that’s been normal about this camp, and the guys just have to overcome the adversity. The practices have been as normal as we’ve had, but other than the practices, there’s nothing that’s been normal. When you go up to eat and you get in line and somebody is serving you as opposed to you serving yourself in a buffet line and you have your mask on. Then you go sit with your position. ‘Well, maybe I want to go sit with a quarterback but I’m an offensive lineman,’ well you can’t do that you have to sit just with the O-lineman. They get tired of each other probably, but we’re trying to do all those things to mitigate the spread and mitigate the virus. Guys are probably getting used to it. It doesn’t make it easy, it’s just kind of our new normal.”

On this season being different for coaches…

“Once you tell us what to do one day, we can be creatures of habit for the next two or three weeks on it. That’s just become our new adjustment to things. If you have to go find somebody, you don’t know where you’re going to find them. You better look up their schedule. Are they Group A lifting, are they Group B lifting, or are they Group C? Which locker room are they in? Where’s their meeting room? Our wide receivers are up in the West Stadium Center, so all the sudden I need to go find a wide receiver. It's going to take me a little bit of a hike. So then we’ve adjusted all of our time. Usually you go right from a special teams meeting to a positions meeting. Well, we have to add 10 minutes of travel time. So everything has been a little bit different.&nbsp; ”

On the bond between Justin Hughes and Elijah Sullivan…

“They communicate, they feed off each other, and they ask each other questions. It probably helped Eli that he had to play the Mike linebacker position all last year where Justin has been accustomed to that. They can help each other figure out how we’re going to fit a play, as a run game example. I just think there’s a great comfort level for each of them to have their friend out there, their teammate out there that they’ve known for a long time. They’re excited to get to play together.”

On if he noticed the first practice for Justin Hughes after being out for so long…

“From a vocal standpoint, without question. I know that Justin, being out of football for as long as he was and missing spring ball, he’s got to work himself back into football shape and work himself back into seeing things because you just don’t see pictures and things come really fast. I was so excited for him on his first day out there. Boy, this has been a long time coming, not having spring ball. You could tell he was so excited and so blessed to be able&nbsp; to say, ‘I get a chance to play football again.’ But I’ve seen over the last, probably four or five practices, the impact he can have as a football player because he’s starting to get his legs back underneath him. He’s starting to gain strength in his knee where he has more and more confidence. As he does that, it makes us all better because when he’s playing at a high level, it makes our defense that much better.”

On how he feels his skill set fits in with the K-State offense...

“My biggest thing is just trying to do whatever the coaches ask of me. With being kind of familiar with them while they were at North Dakota State, I saw things they did with their tight ends. They were really multiple as lining them up as a true tight end, as a fullback, split out wide. I feel pretty comfortable lining up in different places across the field. That’s what I’ve done the past few years. I knew that that was going to be a good fit and that I would, once I learned the offense and everything, be pretty comfortable with that. That’s one of the biggest places that I feel comfortable in this offense. I, hopefully, will end up being a good fit the more reps I get and the more practices we get into things. Just lining up in multiple places and doing whatever they ask of me.”

On his previous relationship with quarterback Skylar Thompson...

“We started playing against each other in about fourth or fifth grade in basketball. We became friends from there. We played against each other almost weekly. Eventually, we ended up playing with each other in about eighth grade in a Missouri All-Star Game. From there, going through high school, we always had a good relationship. He went to Fort Osage and I went to Blue Spring South, and we played each other once in football and a couple times in basketball. We always had respect for each other. You guys all know the type of person he is. He’s been that person since we were young - very mature, a great leader. There was always high respect for him. What’s crazy, looking back now, while we were even in college at two different colleges, in the summers we would come back. He would need somebody to throw to and I would need a quarterback. In the summers, in May while we had a couple weeks home, we would work out together, run routes. We both said it before, but every single time we’d just sit there and talk after, and we’d always say, ‘How crazy would it be if we were able to play together?’ Not actually thinking that that would actually come true. Looking back, where we are now, it just seems like it’s almost too good to be true.”

On his rapport with Skylar Thompson through the first few weeks of practice...

“I would, hopefully, say great. He is a great person off the field, most importantly. He’s a man of high character and high faith. That’s why I’ve always looked up to him. Now that we’re on the field together, knowing the same offense,&nbsp; getting things down and getting a feel for each other with timing and, ‘What do you see here? What do you see on this play?’ I think we’re getting pretty comfortable playing together. I look forward to continuing that comfort level and just getting closer when it comes to things like that.”

On how excited he was to be part of this system after seeing how it worked at NDSU and K-State...

“A lot. That’s one of the biggest reasons going into transferring, my fingers were crossed, ‘I hope K-State calls. I hope K-State calls,’ because of the things that I’ve seen them do with their tight ends while I was at Northern Iowa. They always got the best of us. A couple times we thought we were going to get them, but I was 0-4 against them, so I got to see a lot of what they do on offense. Like I said, I was fingers crossed hoping because I know how much the tight end means in their offense. Once I entered the transfer portal, I ended up texting Skylar (Thompson) later that day. I tried not to text him before that I was even thinking about it because I didn’t want to jinx anything. I texted him later that day after I had talked to K-State a couple of times. It was almost a no-brainer from there.”

On the dynamic of big pass catchers between himself and Nick Lenners...

“I think when you have multiple guys, at any position, but in this offense at the tight end position that are able to stretch the field, be the point of attack in blocking schemes, I think that’s really hard for defenses to key in to. Just past us two, you have other guys like Mason Barta, Sammy Wheeler and so on. There’s so much depth at our position that I think, hopefully, we’ll get some matchup issues. I think it will be really good for us that we keep defense honest when they’re lining up against us because of the different things you can do whenever you have athletic people playing so many different positions.”

On what he has seen from fellow transfer Kiondre Thomas...

“I think as a guy that’s transferring in, and what I was thinking as I was coming in, it could be kind of a difficult situation, but the way that the team embraced all of us coming in, it really made us comfortable. You get to see him on the other side of the ball just play his game and be comfortable. Whenever you’re coming in as a transfer and you’re flying around the way that he does, he’s been able to show what he’s capable of doing early, and that’s because of the climate of the players and coaches in this program.”

On the first interaction between him and Skylar Thompson at K-State...

“I remember the first time we saw each other - we both just started laughing because we were on the phone a lot texting each other. Still to this day, we’ll just say, ‘It doesn’t seem real.’ I remembered we worked out once school had finished in May, like I said, we just started laughing and just talking about how crazy it was and how both of our paths ended up crossing the way that they did with an injury for me last year preventing me from playing my senior season. Now it’s just unreal. God definitely had his hands over the whole situation to lead us together to play our senior year.

On if he’s given any thought to the eligibility freeze mandated by the NCAA...

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about it too much. I’m just trying to attack each and every day and be ready whenever the opportunity to play football comes. Hopefully that’s September 12, but if something goes bad and that’s next fall or in the spring - whenever it is - I’m going to be ready and our team is going to be ready. I think that’s something we’ve done a great job of. I haven’t really tried to think too much about it. I’m just trying to attack each and every day just because it’s another opportunity to play football. There’s people across the country - college football players - that don’t have that opportunity. If I wouldn’t have transferred, I wouldn’t have had that opportunity. I’d be preparing for a spring season. So, right now, I’m just focused on today. Focused on how I can get better from yesterday’s practice, and how I can improve today and get just a little bit better today. When that time comes to think about that, I’ll sit down with my family, with the coaches and discuss that. As of right now, I haven’t thought too much of it.”

On what Chris Klieman and Courtney Messingham does with their tight ends that excites him...

“The tight ends, they do everything. They line up in a true pro set, or two tight ends on the ball and a fullback. You can get into any different personnel formations at any time. You can have two tight ends split out as slot receivers. You can run four verticals, you can run different concepts that normally you’d only do with true wide receivers, but they do a good job with shifting and motioning, and creating mismatches for the tight ends, and for really anybody - for the receivers, for the running backs. They just do a great job of getting those mismatches and really utilizing the skill set of those players. I was able to see that on the opposite side. Once all this happened, I started watching film and seeing what they were able to do last year and everything going so far in the past week and half to two weeks that we’ve been in camp. So I’m super excited about that. I’m just doing my part and doing what I can do to help the team.”

JOSH RIVAS, JUNIOR OFENSIVE LINEMAN

On what he’s improved on at K-State…

“I have just been working on footwork. Coming out of high school, I didn’t know how to pass protect to save my life. I mean, we never passed the ball (in high school). We always ran, so that was a big key for me was to work on my pass protection. I come in every day and just get better. There’s always something you can do to get better, no matter how good you think you are. There’s always something you can work on, whether it’s hands, the right technique for your feet, getting in the right position to block somebody. It really all depends. You just have to break down your film every day and look at it. Coach (Conor) Riley will say something in meetings like what someone needs to work on, and then we’ll just focus on that. If you have a bunch of things to work on, you’re really not going to accomplish one thing. What he likes to say is, ‘Take three things out to practice and try to get better at those three things instead of trying to get better at like 15 things.’”

On pressure being a leader for the line…

“I don’t really feel pressure because I trust every single offensive lineman that we have that they’ll do their job and they’ll do it the right way. If they have questions, they come up to me and ask. I don’t mind answering those questions no matter when it is. I’ve had a freshman that just got on campus. He texted me and asked me about certain plays and certain techniques, and it was pretty late, so I just texted him back and was like, ‘Hey, this is how you do them. If you have any more questions, just shoot them to me.’”

On the chip on the offensive line’s shoulder...

“I would just say because we know how big and physical we can be. Last year, we were physical and big, but this year, since we have a year under our belt in this offense and how Coach (Conor) Riley wants everything to work, I feel like we can all accomplish that together. Our communication about everything is just fantastic.”

On if the offensive line is ready for the season...

“I feel like, for the most part, we’re ready. Our communication has been phenomenal. You have young guys like Logan Long that came in that just switched to offensive line and is picking it up really well. KT (Kaitori Leveston) has seen the picture now. Ben Adler, his technique has gotten a whole lot better. Christian Duffie, he’s been doing everything right. Coach (Conor) Riley really likes how we’ve been getting to the hip on certain plays. Right now, I feel like we have a very good chance of playing.”

“The receivers I like right now are YB (Joshua Youngblood), Malik (Knowles), Landry (Weber), Seth Porter, and then there are a couple of freshmen running backs like Deuce Vaughn. When I was watching his film, it’s just how low he gets when he cuts. I could never do that and it just amazes me how some people can do that. He just looks really good out there.”

On being a young offensive line with something to prove…

“I think all of the offensive linemen have that little chip, trying to prove people wrong. We saw all of the stuff on Twitter during our little break that we had this spring, and they’re saying like, ‘Kansas State’s offensive line is going to be the weakest point of the team,’ or, ‘They’re so inexperienced. They don’t know how fast games move.’ Which I see that at a point, but this offensive line is just hungry to play. I feel like we have the capability to really not drop down to everybody’s expectations and being the lack of the team. Us five, whoever’s playing, will have a good chip, and we will be able to put it on and not be the lack of the team.”

KIONDRE THOMAS, SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK

On how he’s been able to rise so quickly to compete at the cornerback spot…

“I think we’ve all done a good job competing with each other this fall camp. Since I’m an older guy and I’ve been in a system that runs a complex defense, I was able to catch onto things pretty good. All I really had to do was learn the terminology, and I felt like I would be fine for real.”

On his decision to come to K-State…

“Throughout the recruiting process, this was the staff that I felt most comfortable with. Coach Klieman had a pretty good winning culture at North Dakota State, and I knew that that would translate well here in the Big 12. That’s just something I wanted to be a part of for my last year.”

On what he wants to prove this year…

“Really just being consistent. I just want to be consistent and be able to show my talents however I can on the field.”

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